Brake-retainer-valve mechanism



A ril 2? 192%.

S. A. RICHARDSON Filed July 51, 1922 BRAKE RETAINER VALVE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY A ril 27 1926..

s, A. RicHARDsoN BRAKE RETAINER VALVE MECHANISM 1 Filed July 31 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q N m iwww Fatented Apr. 27, I925.

NETEE STATES isezsae was.

BRAKE-RETAINER-VALVE MECHANISM.

Application filed July 31,

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sesrnr A. RICHARD-' son, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Brake-Retainer-Valve lvIec-hanism, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention relates to brake-retainer valve mechanism.

In logging operations the trains on which the logs are hauled operate on very steep grades, which grades often are very long in length, sometimes continuing for ten miles or more and require the continued application of the brakes for said ten miles. The ordinary air brake equipment is not adapted for said long service because the air gradually leaks out and the pressure in the auxiliary is insufficient to maintain the brakes in'applied position for the said necessary long period of time indicated. The problemvpresented is as follows: lVhen the brakes are set by the engineer, the comressed air in the auxiliary reservoirs can only hold the brake in an applied position for a relatively short time owing to said leakage. The engineer after applying the brakes moves the throttle into what is known as lap position. This means that the sup ply of air from the main reservoirs is stopped. The air in the auxilary reservoir ply air to the auxiliary reservoirs to. re

place the escaped air and thus to nullify the decreasing pressure. He cannot supply the air pressure to them while the air brakes are in applied position. Therefore when the engineer shifts his control lever to sup ply air to the auxiliary reservoirs and renew the pressure therein. thereupon he auto matically releases the brakes from their applied position against the wheels. The period for recharging the auxiliary tanks varies with the number of cars and the engine air capacity. However for fifteen cars, three to five minutes is very conservative period for said purpose. Obviously, during this period the train is without any brakes in applied position and manifestly on the long steep slopes the very heavy train loaded as it is with large logs gives'such a 1922. Serial No. 578540.

momentumthat when the brakes are applied they are of little effect. In short, the brakes must be kept in applied position continuously and no release permitted, even momentarily, to say nothing of a period of from three to live minutes. The lack of provision for maintaining the brakes in applied position while recharging the auxiliary reservoirs has resulted in a great many wrecks, involving serious accidents and loss of life, to omit mention of the'great loss of property in the form of railroad equipment and otherwise.

To overcome the shortcomings of the ordinary brake system as above described there has been an attempt to remedy the same by providingwhat is'known as a retainer valve which is applied to the exhaust port of the triple valve, whereby the air upon exhausting from the brakecylinder is arrested in its escape and therefore retains the brakes in applied position with the feeble pressure so long as any pressure re mains in said cylinder, but of course with decreasing effectiveness. These valves are manually operated. On a-very long train an opera-tor starts out from each end of thetrain to move these valves on each car into closed position on the beginning of the descent. These valves operate to hold the brakesin applied position so that after they are once set, the setting is continued for a period until the pressure in the brake cylinders'is exhausted. In the meantime, the engineer re-supplies theauxiliary reservoirs. The descent of what is called the logging line to the main railroad line may involve several downgrades and with some upgrades or level stretches. l Vhen the descent for a particular grade is accomplished or an ascent or even a level stretch is made, the operators startout anew from each end of the train and move thesaid retainer valves into open position. practice is expensive, slow and cumbersome. During the total descent of the logging line thesaid retainer valves must often be operated two or more times. This involves a loss of from twenty to forty minutes in running time.

In general the objects of my invention are to provide a brake retainer valve mechanism which overcomes the objections above set forth.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a, brakeretainer valve mechanism Manifestly, any such whereby the reduction of pressure in the brake cylinde may be subjected to control. further primary object of my invention to provide a bral e-retainer valve mechanism the operation 01 which is positive in its action. And a still further primary object of my invention is to pr vi'le such a brake-retainer valve mechanism, the operation of which will be simultaneous on all the cars of the train.

In general I accomplish these objects by providing 1 valve to regulate the time and rate or" exhausting ot' the air .trom the brake cylinder ant by providing means tor controlling said valve which is subject to control by the engineer in the engine cab.

The above mentioned general objects ot my invention together with others inherent in the same are attained ly the mechanisu'i rated in the following drawings, the

lllllSi same being: merely preferred exemplary forms of embodiment of my invention, thruout which d 'awingrs like reference nume 'als indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a retainer-valve embotying n y invention:

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section on line 2, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section on line 3. 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. lis a diagrammatic view of the main reservoirs, reducing valve control, brake cylinder. auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and air line connections for the same, as well as the retainer valve embodying my invention and the air line connections for the same.

A valve casing; is provided with chambers G and 7 at each end thereot with a connecting recess 8 therebetween. T 9 closes the end of chamber (3 while the cap 10 closes the chamber 7, said caps beingpreferably provided vith threaded portions for releasably securing the same to said housing. Said chambers are respectively provided with pistons 11 and 12 which car valve members 13 and let, which meml ers have the engaging rods 15 and 16 respective-- ly. The said valve members 13 and 1-l seat upon valve seats 17 and 18 disposed on casing- 5. Each 01 said pistons are provided with springs 19 and 20, the first of said springs normally holding valve 13 in seated or closed position while spring 20 normally maintains valve 11- in unseated position. Piston 20 is preferably of larger dimension than piston 11 so that it may at all times. when air pressure is admitted to retainer line 26. positively overcome the force of the spring 19 and air pressure which may be operating to close valve 13. In the casing: an exhaust port 21 communicating with re cess 8 is provided intermediate the length oi the valve or said casing. This port is preterably disposed iii a plug 2280 that various he cap sized exhaust ports may be provided by simply substituting for this plug other plug: having larger or smaller sized ports extending longitudinally therethroue'h. Also in said 'asing' a port i is provided for connecting the said valve to the triple valve 21 ot' the regular air brake system vith which said retainer 'alve mechanisn embodying my invention is to be a sociated. lu the up 10 a port 25 is provided tor connecting said retainer valve mechanism to the retuiucr compressed air line :2 which line is specially added to the ordinary air brake mechanism as a part of my invent ion. Lugs 27. 2S and 2f) are provided t'or securing the casing 5 to a suitable support as may indesired, or any other suitable mounting means may be employed. port $1 is pr tcrably provided for ati'ording a manually controlled retainer valve or pct-cork ll.

A. pipe 32 connects port 35 with the triple valve The said triple valve 31; has its regular connections with the brake cylinder 33 by means of pipe Also said triple valve 21; is connected to the auxiliary reservoir 37 by pipe 38. Said triple valve also has the pipe 37 connecting it to the liltlh't: pipe line 38 which line has its regular connections to the main reservoirs- 3-) said conne-tions and associated members, such as controlling means not being shown herein. The port 25 of the retainer valve casing .7 has pipe 40 connecting it to the retainer cou pressed air line 26 which has its controller -11. reducingvalve 12 and pressure gauge 13. said line being also connected to the said main reservoirs 39. Vent port 1-1 is preterably provided in casing The mode of operation ot a brake retainer valve mechanism emhodyin; my invention is as tollows:

lfpon setti the hralzcs the rn rineer operator in the engine cab moves the brat-z control lever (not shoi'n) into a litizitltiil permitting the air to escape in part from the brake line 38 which permits the air in the auxiliary reservoir l?) to close the port in the triple valve 21 between said au:-;iliarv reservoir 3-35 and sad bralie line 18 and opens th port between aurfliar reservoir 35 and the brake cylinder I33. the pressure in said brake cylinder 13 rises. the brakes are set. Th n it becomes nccesby grrzulual leal-tag e to re-charge the au. .iliarv reservoir or) no t)01()1' moves the control lever (not snownl o the main bra lCO line 538 into apoi 1 causes the pressure to rise in the sa v'l line :1 which thereupon ac uairs th triple i alve 21 whereby the port between the "uni 'iry rt rvoir 153 and the cylinder 1 i ll closed and the port lzetwct-n the o.

33 l i l line 38 and. the auxiliary reservoir 13 opera establishing conuectioi'i between the main hral; line -18 and said 2lll-1lli2ll' v' rvoii 35. It the "time time the triple valve 2i to exhaust from the brake cylinder Up to this point this is the operation of the ordinary brare system. Instead of permitting the air irom said bral-fe cylinder 38 to exhaust into the atmosphere, 1 cause the said air to enter the brake retainer valve asing 5 through port 23. The pressure of this exhausting air immediately closes or co operates with spring 19 to maintain in closed position the valve Thus, the brakes are i not allowed to be released as they ordinarily would when it becomes necessary to charge the tlllXlllill'y reservoir When finally it is desireo to release the brakes the engineer or operator in the engine cab moves controller 4:1 into a position which permits the pres sure of the main reservoir 39 to be trans mitted to the piston 12 through the retainer compressed air line 26. ac uates piston 12 which causes its valve rod 16 to strike against the valve rod 15 0t piston 11. Since the pressure of the main reservoir is greater than that of the brake cylinder 33 the result is the pushing back of piston 11 and opening the valve 13 whereby the air from said brake cylinder 33 is permitted to escape through the recess 8 to the exhaust port 21 and thereby release the brakes. The piston 12 is preterably made larger than the piston 11 which also insures the overcoming of any pressure operating to hold valve 13 in closed position against valve seat 17. It will be noted that such an arrangement permits of the release of the brakes as gradually as the operator may wish. Also be it noted, that the equalizing spring maintains the valve 1 1 in open position with such force as to permit the pressure in the retainer compressed air line 26 to rise to such a degree that the piston 12 or" the brake retainer valve of each and every car Will be actuated at the same time to open the piston 11. The gauge 13 per-- niits the operator to know just what pressure he is admitting to the retainer compressed air line. Thus, the equalizing spring 20 assists in providing apositive control. During the descent as the air pressure gradually becomes reduced in the brak cylinder the engineer may ire-supply the me from the auxiliary reservoir which has been recharged in the meantime by op-- erating the ordinary brake mechanism for brake setting position (reduction 01 pressure in brake line). In this manner it is manifest that the brakes may be maintained in a setposition or in sucn degree 01'' applied position for such period time as the en neer may desire. The vent port at is preterably provided to insure against the creating of any back pressure in chamber 7 by reason 01'' the escape of air about piston which back pressure might, in conjunction with the spring 20, cause the piston 12 i;

Obviously, this move its valve 14. from the valve seat 18 prematurely thereby preventing the releasing ot the brakes as completely as the engineer might desire.

Obviously, changes may be made in the terms, dimensions, and arrangement of the from the principle thereof, the above setting 'l'orth only pret' red forms of embodlment.

Clearly, spring 1'? may be utilized to in .c-

tion also as an equalling spring and spring 20 omitted. The valve rods 15 and 15 may be formed integrally. Sincethere is but a very small movement of piston 12 necessary to unseat the valve 1'3, the common diaphragm valve could be substituted tor said piston 12.

1 claim:

1. In combination with a railroad car compressed fluid brake mechanism, a retainer compressed air line in addition to the main air line; a brake retainer valve embodying a valve means in each end thereof, valve seats oppositely disposed to register with said in ans, a brake mechanism communicating port in one end of said valve, a retainer air line communicating port in the opposite end of said. valve, and a resilient means operatively disposed with respect to said valve means in said retainer airline end of said valve, said resilient means being characterized by being only of such strength as to maintain the associated valve means in open position during the filling of the retainer air line With con'ipressed fluid.

2.111 combination with a railroad'car compressed fluid brake mechanism, a r tainer compressed air line in addition to the main air line; a brake retainer valve embodying separate and independently operable valve means in each end thereof, valve seats oppositely disposed to register With sald means, a brake mechanism communicating port in one end of said valve a retainer air line communicating port in the opposite end of said valve, and a resilient means operatively disposed with respect to said valve means in said retainer air line end of said valve, said resilient means being characterized by being only 0'1" such strength as to maintain the associated valve means in open position during the filling ot the retainer air line with compressed fluid.

3. The method of releasing the brakes of a railroad compressed fluid brake mechanism by means ot a brake retainer valve and a separate retainer air line valve communicating with said retainer valve of introducing compressed fluid in said retainer air line only during the period 05 exhausting the air in the brake cylinder.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of July, A. D. 1922.

sannn nrenasnson.

iarts of my invention, without departing loo ill) 

